Memphis Grizzlies two-way signing Yuta Watanabe is one of the star players that Japanese children gaze at dreamily.
While growing up in Kagawa Prefecture, Watanabe admired Yuta Tabuse, who became the first Japanese player in the NBA during the 2004-05 season.
Speaking in front of about 200 fans during a talk show at a Tokyo sporting goods shop on Thursday, Watanabe, now 24, humbly said that he doesn't feel like he's become an idol for boys and girls that play the game.